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Anatomy of the CVS Flashcards

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1
Q

Where is the heart located?

A

Middle mediastinum (area between the pleural cavities)

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2
Q

At what vertebral level is the top of the middle mediastinum?

A

Between T4 and T5

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3
Q

What main type of tissue does not have a blood supply?

A

Cartilage

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4
Q

What tissues/organs do not receive lymphatic drainage?

A

Brain + spinal cord
Eyes
Bone marrow

(cartilage?)

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5
Q

What are the 2 main circulations of the CVS?

A

Pulmonary

Systemic

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6
Q

What 2 other ‘circulations’ are present in the body that are associated with the CVS?

A

Hepatic portal circulation

Lymphatic circulation

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7
Q

What is the hepatic portal circulation?

A

Circulation that links the digestive tract directly to the liver (“hepatic”) before continuing to the heart

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8
Q

Describe each of the following for the pulmonary artery:

  • origin
  • main parts
  • relevant anatomical positions
A

Pulmonary trunk leaves Right ventricle

Trunk splits shortly after, into the left and right pulmonary arteries

Right pulmonary artery passes under aortic arch and behind the superior vena cava

Left pulmonary artery ends up passing behind the pulmonary vein (but this is not that close to the heart)

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9
Q

Describe each of the following for the aorta:

  • origin
  • main parts
  • relevant anatomical positions
A

Ascending Aorta leaves the left ventricle

Aortic arch - the vessel arches over the right pulmonary artery and continues downwards as the descending aorta

3 arteries leave the Aortic arch at its peak:

  • Bracheocephalic artery
  • Common Carotid artery
  • Left Subclavian artery
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10
Q

What does the bracheocephalic artery continue to form?

A

Right subclavian & Right common carotid arteries

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11
Q

What is visible when looking at the heart anteriorly?

in the way it sits in the body

A

Right atrium & ventricle

Left ventricle

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12
Q

What chamber is the base of the heart?

A

Left atrium

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13
Q

Why does apex mean something different for the heart, than it does for the lungs?

A

The apex of the heart is at the bottom

Apex of the lungs are at the top

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14
Q

What blood vessels run parallel with the vertebral column?

in the abdominal area

A

Vena Cava

Descending aorta

Azygos vein

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15
Q

In the recumbent position, the heart lies between what vertebral levels?

A

T5-T8

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16
Q

Describe the surface anatomy position of the apex of the heart

A

Left ventricle - 5th left intercostal space in the midclavicular line

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17
Q

Where is the Base of the heart located?

A

In front of the oesophagus

Moves up and down with breaths

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18
Q

How does the position of the heart different in children?

A

Higher up and lies more horizontal

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19
Q

What is situs inversus?

A

congenital condition in which the major visceral organs are reversed or mirrored from their normal positions. The normal arrangement of internal organs is known as situs solitus

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20
Q

What is Situs inversus’s effect on the heart?

A

Dextrocardia

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21
Q

What lies anteriorly to the heart

A

Sternum and costal cartilages 4-7

Anterior edges of the lungs and pleurae

Thymic remnants

Sternal angle in line with the aortic arch

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22
Q

What lies posteriorly to the heart?

A

Oesophagus

Descending aorta

Thoracic vertebrae

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23
Q

What lies laterally to the heart?

A

Lungs

Phrenic nerve

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24
Q

What lies inferiorly to the heart?

A

Central tendon of the diaphragm

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25
Describe the different layers of the heart
Endocardium (innermost): - Epithelium - Basement memb - Connective tissue Myocardium - muscle Epicardium (outermost): - CT - BM - Visceral pericardium (epicardium epithelium)
26
How is the serous pericardium similar to the pleura?
Double layered, with (pericardial) in the middle Inner layer is the epithelial layer of the epicardium (visceral layer of the serous pericardium) Outer layer is the Parietal layer of the pericardium
27
What encloses the parietal layer of the serous pericardium?
Fibrous pericardium
28
Which layer of the heart wall is thinnest and which is thickest?
Endocardium is the thinnest Myocardium is thickest
29
Describe the structure of the endocardium
Simple squamous epithelium sitting on basement membrane Sits on connective tissue
30
What important structures in the heart are formed from the endocardium?
Valves
31
Describe the structure of the myocardium
Branching fibres of myocytes (cardiac muscle) Striated, mononucleate muscle with lots of mitochondria and a rich capillary bed Muscle bundles in different planes to close down chamber lumen Intercalated discs connect individual cells: - Gap junctions - Desmosomes
32
Describe the structure of the epicardium
Simple squamous epithelium sitting on basement membrane, attached to connective tissue Epithelium also known as visceral layer of the serous pericardium Contains main branches of coronary arteries May be fatty
33
The left border of the heart corresponds with which chamber?
Left ventricle
34
The right border of the heart corresponds with which chamber of the heart?
Right atrium | remember the hearts kinda tilted so that the right side faces down and out
35
What are the main abnormalities associated with the valves of the heart?
Incompetence = widening Stenosis = narrowing
36
Aside from structural abnormalities, what else can happen to cause harm to the valves of the heart?
Bacterial endocarditis infection
37
What are the atrio-ventricular valves?
Mitral & tricuspid
38
What is the collective name for the aortic and pulmonary valves?
Semi-lunar valves
39
What is the cardiac skeleton?
Dense connective tissue thing that lies in the plane between the atria and ventricles
40
What is the function of the cardiac skeleton?
Structural support: - Atrioventricular septum - Roots of great vessels - Anchorage for valves - Myocytes/capillary network Electrical insulation: - Atria from ventricles - Myocardium from great vessels
41
What are the coronary arteries?
Two arteries (left & right) Located in epicardium Supply the myocardium
42
Describe the blood flow through the coronary arteries and how this reaches the muscle tissue
At systole openings in aortic sinuses shielded by aortic valve cusps At diastole elastic recoil of aorta closes aortic valve and blood enters arteries At diastole myocardium relaxing and blood can flow into capillaries
43
What 4 things hold the heart in place?
- "Hangs" off great vessels - Dense connective tissue bag - Attachments - Lined by serous pericardium
44
What is the heart 'attached' to?
Central tendon of diaphragm Sternum Roots of great vessels
45
The serous pericardium cells secrete a fluid that acts as a lubricant What is this called and how does this benefit the function of the serous pericardium?
Pericardial fluid Allows the heart to slip about during cardiac cycle
46
What 3 layers makes up the general structure of blood vessels?
Tunica adventitia (aka externa) - outermost Tunica media Tunica intima
47
What 3 layers make up the heart wall?
Epicardium Myocardium Endocardium
48
What makes up each layer of arteries?
Tunica adventitia: - Fibrous connective tissue Tunica media: - Muscle - Elastic tissue Tunica intima: - Epithelium + basement membrane - Connective tissue
49
How is the heart wall different from blood vessels in terms of what makes up the layers?
Broadly similar except the heart's outer layer (epicardium) has an epithelial layer and basement membrane as well as connective tissue
50
What would you expect to find near a large artery?
An accompanying large vein
51
Generally, how is arterial structure different from venous structure?
Arteries smaller diameter than accompanying vein Arteries thicker wall than accompanying vein Arteries thicc media, thin adventitia Veins thin media, thicc adventitia
52
Histologically, what appearance do veins often have?
Folded and floppy looking
53
Which type of blood vessel has the largest total surface area within the entire CVS?
Capillaries
54
What are the 2 types of arteries? Give examples of each
Elastic - conducting arteries - Aorta - Common Carotid - Pulmonary Muscular - distributing - Femoral - Radial - Coronary
55
Why are elastic arteries necessary?
Stretches with systole Recoils during diastole to maintain high pressure Maintains a high pressure, smooth blood flow
56
What causes elastic arteries to be elastic?
Lots of elastic fibres present in the Tunica media, and relatively little smooth muscle Present in layers - laminae Secreted by smooth muscle cells
57
What do elastic arteries look like histologically?
Elastic fibres = blue/purple coloured Elastic arteries have large blue area (Tunica media) which muscular arteries lack
58
What do muscular arteries look like histologically?
Large tunica media - smooth muscle cells Only elastic (blue) layers are present at the boundaries between the different tunica layers - These are very thin though - These layers are the Internal elastic lamina & Outer elastic lamina Often, the tunica intima is bumpy looking at the edge
59
How does the structure of arterioles differ from that of arteries?
No Tunica adventitia Tunica media made up of 1 or 2 layers of smooth muscle cells (but it is still the thickest part) No IEL and i assume no OEL Rich sympathetic nerve innervation Histological images are much closer up than artery photos. This means the nuclei of cells are more obvious
60
How can arterioles have both local and systemic effects?
Can control blood flow to certain areas Can also affect blood pressure (systemic) - This is why blood pressure medication often targets smooth muscle receptors and makes them relax
61
Describe the structure of capillaries and how they differ from other blood vessels
Only made of Tunica intima - Endothelial cell + basement membrane Very thin - 4-15µ average diameter - 1 RBC thin
62
What type of cell allows capillaries to alter blood flow through them?
Pericytes - incomplete ring cells surrounding basement membrane that have contractile properties
63
What are the 3 types of capillaries?
Continuous - complete basal lamina and complete endothelial coverage Fenestrated - A couple holes in the endothelial layer but a complete basal lamina Discontinuous - fuck ton of holes in the endothelial layer and in the basal lamina
64
Where are continuous capillaries found? What are they good for?
Muscle, brain Can control what leaves them, as they can only pass through the endothelial cells or through junctions Great deal of control^
65
Describe the uses of fenestrated capillaries
Used in endocrine glands - eg. kidney renal corpuscle Have pores up to 100µm in diameter that stuff goes through Also MAY contain protein diaphragms which only let stuff with the correct charge or molecular weight through
66
What are the uses of discontinuous capillaries?
Liver, spleen, bone marrow Free passage of fluid and cells out/in
67
What are sinusoids?
Type of discontinuous capillary Larger diameter Tunica intima contains phagocytic cells Found where lots of exchange takes place - eg. liver, some endocrine glands
68
What allows the body to bypass capillary beds? What is this called, and when is it used?
Precapillary SPHINCTAAA These shut of capillaries and force blood to bypass them in a process called Arteriovenous shunts (AV shunts) Useful in things like thermoregulation
69
Describe the layer structure of veins
T.intima is thin IEL and OEL thin or absent T.media v thin or absent T adventitia - collagenous tissue with some Smooth M T. intima folds to forms valves to prevent back-flow
70
Why are valves needed in veins but not in arteries?
Arteries are high pressure so there is no chance of backflow Veins are low pressure
71
What is the difference between superficial and deep veins?
Superficial: - Thick walled - Not supported or near arteries Deep: - Thin walled - Accompany arteries - Surrounding support from deep fascia and muscles
72
Why is it incorrect to call it 'lymphatic circulation'?
It is not a circulation Lymphatic system is open ended - it's like tree roots sticking into the ground, whereas the circulatory system is like train network
73
Where are lymph nodes commonly found?
found alongside major veins and around origins of major arteries
74
What feature do both veins and lymph vessels have?
Valves
75
Describe the main features of lymph vessels' structure
Lined by very thin endothelium No fenestrations Absent / rudimentary basal lamina Lumen maintained at –ve hydrostatic pressure Anchoring filaments – fine collagenous filaments link endothelial cell to surrounding tissue keeping lumen open No red blood cells in lumen Valved
76
Why can some blood vessels be described as organs by themselves?
They have a nerve supply: - Either just sympathetic (skin) or both parasymp. and symp. They have a blood supply: - Vasa vasorum They have lymphatic drainage: - Tunica adventitia has lymphatic drainage
77
What key feature can you use to differentiate blood vessels from nerves or lymph vessels?
Blood vessels = RBC's will be visible
78
In what ways are capillaries specialised for exchange?
Lots of them - every tissue within 100m of one Thin-walled - presents a small diffusion barrier Small diameter - big surface area:volume ratio

Cardio (41 decks)

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